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Article THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. ← Page 4 of 8 →
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The Battle Of The Boyne.
an confusion . An universal shout of joy rung through the Irish camp , at the news that Orange was no more . It was conveyed rapidly to Dublin ; it was wafted to Paris ; Louis , received it with extacy ; and the guns of the Bastile proclaimed the meanness of his . triumph . _ While some squadrons of the enemy ' s horse drew down to the rive if to
r , as pursue a flying enemy , William rode through his camp , to prevent all alarms , or false reports of his danger ' . On the arrival of his artillery , the batteries were mounted , and the cannonading continued on each side , not Without some execution , till the close of evening . Some deserters were received , and gave various accounts of the strength and disposition of the enemy , lone , who appeared of note
some , spoke so plausibly , and at the same time so magnificently of their numbers , that William seemed disconcerted . To Sir Robert Southwell , his secretary of state , who had given him different intelligence , he expressed his suspicion that the enemy was really stronger than he imagined . Southwell communicated the king ' s doubts ° to Cox , his un tier-secretary , through whose channel the intelligence had been conveyed . Cox , with an acuteness which seems to have laid the foundation of his future fortune , led the deserter through the English camp ; and when he had surveyed it , tisked at what he
computed the amount of William ' s forces . The man confidently rated them at more than double their number . The king was thus satisfied that his reports arose from ignorance and presumption . Other deserters made reports more unfavourable to the enemy ; and the kino- ' was assured , that James , in expectation of defeat , had already conveyed part of his baggage and artillery to Dublin . About nine at nihtWilliam called a council of warnot to
delig , , berate , but to receive his orders ; and here he declared his resolution of passing the river in front of the enemy . Duke Schomberg , with the caution natural to his years , endeavoured to dissuade him from this hazardous enterprize ; and when he could not prevail , insisted that part of the army should be immediately detached to secure the bridge of Slane , about three miles westward of their camp , so . as to
flank the enemy , and to cut them off from Duleek , the pass through which they mi ght retreat . It is generally imputed to the indifference with which his council . was received , that this general retired in disgust , and received the order of battle in his tent , declaring , that " itwas the first ever sent to him . " Nor did James discover more" attention to this important pass of Slane . In his council of war , Plamilton recommended that eight regiments might be sent immediately to secure the bridge . James proposed to employ fifty dragoons in this service ; the general , in astonishment , bowed and was silent .
William directed that the river should be passed in three different places ; by his right wing , commanded by Count Schomberg , son of the duke , and General Douglas , on the west , at some fords discovered near the bridge of Slane ; b y the centre , commanded by Duke Schomberg , in front of the Irish camp ; and by the left wing , led by the king himself , at a ford between the army and the town of Drog-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Battle Of The Boyne.
an confusion . An universal shout of joy rung through the Irish camp , at the news that Orange was no more . It was conveyed rapidly to Dublin ; it was wafted to Paris ; Louis , received it with extacy ; and the guns of the Bastile proclaimed the meanness of his . triumph . _ While some squadrons of the enemy ' s horse drew down to the rive if to
r , as pursue a flying enemy , William rode through his camp , to prevent all alarms , or false reports of his danger ' . On the arrival of his artillery , the batteries were mounted , and the cannonading continued on each side , not Without some execution , till the close of evening . Some deserters were received , and gave various accounts of the strength and disposition of the enemy , lone , who appeared of note
some , spoke so plausibly , and at the same time so magnificently of their numbers , that William seemed disconcerted . To Sir Robert Southwell , his secretary of state , who had given him different intelligence , he expressed his suspicion that the enemy was really stronger than he imagined . Southwell communicated the king ' s doubts ° to Cox , his un tier-secretary , through whose channel the intelligence had been conveyed . Cox , with an acuteness which seems to have laid the foundation of his future fortune , led the deserter through the English camp ; and when he had surveyed it , tisked at what he
computed the amount of William ' s forces . The man confidently rated them at more than double their number . The king was thus satisfied that his reports arose from ignorance and presumption . Other deserters made reports more unfavourable to the enemy ; and the kino- ' was assured , that James , in expectation of defeat , had already conveyed part of his baggage and artillery to Dublin . About nine at nihtWilliam called a council of warnot to
delig , , berate , but to receive his orders ; and here he declared his resolution of passing the river in front of the enemy . Duke Schomberg , with the caution natural to his years , endeavoured to dissuade him from this hazardous enterprize ; and when he could not prevail , insisted that part of the army should be immediately detached to secure the bridge of Slane , about three miles westward of their camp , so . as to
flank the enemy , and to cut them off from Duleek , the pass through which they mi ght retreat . It is generally imputed to the indifference with which his council . was received , that this general retired in disgust , and received the order of battle in his tent , declaring , that " itwas the first ever sent to him . " Nor did James discover more" attention to this important pass of Slane . In his council of war , Plamilton recommended that eight regiments might be sent immediately to secure the bridge . James proposed to employ fifty dragoons in this service ; the general , in astonishment , bowed and was silent .
William directed that the river should be passed in three different places ; by his right wing , commanded by Count Schomberg , son of the duke , and General Douglas , on the west , at some fords discovered near the bridge of Slane ; b y the centre , commanded by Duke Schomberg , in front of the Irish camp ; and by the left wing , led by the king himself , at a ford between the army and the town of Drog-